Bow or elastic device for propelling projectiles

ABSTRACT

A device for launching missiles, such as rocks, steel balls, or arrows, having an adjustable lock and a novel triggering mechanism, mounted on a support, the rock or ball-launching mechanism having a missile pocket secured to the power unit by swivel connections and having a trigger-receiving latch mounted thereon, said triggering mechanism providing means for triggering the missile launch and for releasing the lock for readjustment, in sequence both the latch mechanisms are in the same housing and the lock engages the pocket member and the latch engages the base member.

United States Patent J ordan [54] BOW 0R ELASTIC DEVICE FOR PROPELLINGPROJECTILES [72] Inventor: Clarence C. Jordan, Box 224, Splendora,

Tex. 77372 [22] Filed: Sept. 29, 1969 21] Appl. No.: 861,870

[52] U.S.Cl. ..124/20 R, 124/25, 124/41, 124/35 [51] Int. Cl ..F4lb5/00, F4lb 7/00 [58] FleldolSearch ..124/17,21,24,35,41,40, 124/20, 25

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,153 8/1887 Alley 124/21Effinger 124/21 5] Feb. 22, 1972' Rebikoff ..124/40 X Pankratz ..124/35X Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R.Browne Attorney-Ranseler O. Wyatt [5 7] ABSTRACT A device for launchingmissiles, such as rocks, steel balls, or arrows, having an adjustablelock and a novel triggering mechanism, mounted on a support, the rock orball-launching mechanism having a missile pocket secured to the powerunit by swivel connections and having a trigger-receiving latch mountedthereon, said triggering mechanism providing means for triggering themissile launch and for releasing the lock for readjustment, in sequenceboth the latch mechanisms are in the same housing and the lock engagesthe pocket member and the latch engages the base member.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB22 1m 3.643.643 sumznrz If/answre 6 (Tara an INVENTOR.

BOW OR ELASTIC DEVICE FOR PROPELLING PROJECTILES SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION A missile launcher having a power means for effecting alaunch, and having an adjustable lock for maintaining themissile-launching means in a selected position for launching, and noveltriggering means for effecting a launch and for releasing the lock afterthe missile is launched.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thedevice, showing the missile projector locked in a selected position forlaunching.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device, showing another type ofmissile mounted in the launching means.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partially in cross section, ofthe missile pocket and trigger connection.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the forward end of the launching lockhousing and the track it is mounted in.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, in cross section, of the loci;

and track, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the missile-launching lock, incross section, showing the trigger mechanism position immediately afterthe missile has been launched.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings the numeral 1designates a base member having a flat upper surface 2 on which thetracks 3, 3 are mounted, such as by anchoring angle irons thereon, theoverturned portion of the angle irons extending over said upper surfaceand being spaced a sufficient distance from said surface to provide afree space for the baseplate 4 of the lock housing 5 to slide. A seriesof longitudinal axial openings 6, 6 are formed in the surface 2 of thebase member, which have their forward end faces vertical and theirrearward end faces tapered, and a releasing bar 7 extends rearwardlyfrom the forward end of said base member surface 2.

A power means, such as the rubberbands 8, 8, secured to the uprightposts 9, 9 has the missile pocket 10, which may be formed of leather orfabric, one end being a flat vertical wall, and the sidewalls beingtapered forwardly. One end of a swivel connector, as 11, is sewedbetween the several layers of the material of the pocket at the end ofthe taper of each sidewall, and the other end of the respective swivelsreceives one end of the respective rubberbands 8, 8. A small bit offabric, as 12, is faced against the inside wall of the rubberband whereit is tied to the swivel to prevent the rubber from creeping, andescaping the tie. A vertical plate 13 is mounted between the layers ofmaterial at the other end of the pocket 10, and a threaded shaft 14extends laterally from the plate 13 to receive the latch 15, which has athreaded chamber in one end for that purpose.

The trigger mechanism consists of a suitable housing 5 in which themechanism is mounted, and the launching trigger assembly is mounted inthe upper half of the housing, and has the spring loaded upper pivotalbar 16 and the spring loaded lower pivotal bar 17. An upstanding pawl 18is integral with the lower bar 17 and has the laterally extended finger19 against which one end of the bar 16 bears. The control bar 20 extendsthrough the housing 5 and a laterally projecting stud 21 is in positionto bear against one end of the pivotal bar 16 when the bar 20 isdepressed, causing the other end of the bar 16 to lift the pawl 18. Thelower end of the pawl 18 extends beneath the pivotal bar 17 and engagesthe latch 15. As the pawl 18 is lifted, the latch is released. A stop 31limits the downward movement of the bar 17.

A partition 22 divides the upper and lower trigger assemblies, and formsa guide for the latch 20. The lower assembly consists of the upperspring loaded pivotal bar 23, the lower spring loaded pivotal bar 24 andthe pawl 25, which is integral with the lower bar 24. A stop 35 limitsthe lower movement of the bar 23 and the plate 4 limits the lowermovement of the bar 24. The pawl 25 has the laterally extended finger 26against which one end of the upper bar 23 bears. The lower end of thepawl 25 extends below the lower pivotal bar 24 and through an orifice 27in the baseplate 4 and abuts one end of the respective axial openings 6.The lower end face of the pawl 25 is tapered upwardly rearwardly, sothat it will readily slide up the slanted face of the orifice6. The pawl25 is notched to receive the tapered projection 28 of the spring loadedpivotal latch 29. The lower end of the latch 29 extends through theorifice 27 of the baseplate 4, but does not extend into the openings 6.The pawl 25 has a notch on one longitudinal side face, as 30, positionedto receive the tapered projection 28 when the pawl 27 is lifted out ofengagement with the end face of the opening 6. As the bar 20 isdepressed, the latch 15 is released first and as the depressing actioncontinues, the bar 23 is pivoted to raise the pawl 25 and as the lowerend of the pawl 25 clears the opening 6, releasing the housing forsliding action in the tracks 33, and as the depression of the bar 20continues, the tapered portion 28 of the latch 29 enters the notch 30 ofthe pawl 25 and holds the pawl 25 in raised position. When the housingsis moved all the way forward in the tracks 3, 3, the bar 7 contacts thelower end of the latch 29 and pivots the same, moving the tapered member28 out of the notch 30, permitting the bar 24 to return to lowermostposition and the pawl 25 to move downwardly into engaging position withthe straight end wall of the respective openings 6.

In use the missile may be seated in the pocket 10 and the latch insertedinto the upper assembly through the opening 32 until in engagement withthe pawl 18 as shown in FIG. 6, and the housing 5 then pulledbackwardly, the pawl 25 moving upwardly as the lower end thereofcontacts the slanted ends of the openings 6, this upward movement beingshort of sufficient to engage the latch 29, until the housing 5 is inthe desired position, and at which position the pawl 25 will be abuttingthe vertical face of one of the openings 6.

The rubberbands 8, 8, or the like, may be replaced with the bow 33, thebow 33 being anchored to the posts 9, 9 and the bowstring 34 beingsecured to the pocket 10 by means of the swivels ll, 11.

Many types of missiles may thus be launched. Solid missiles, such asrocks, balls, or the like, as well as explosives, such as firecrackers,grenades, or the like, as well as arrows in all forms.

What is claimed is:

l. A missile launcher having a baseplate, track guiding said base membermeans for propelling a missile mounted on said base member, lockingmeans movable mounted on said base member for releasably locking themeans for propelling a missile in several positions along said track, amissile pocket mounted on said missile-propelling power means, a latchon said pocket engageable by said locking means, means for manuallyreleasing said latch and said locking means, said last mentioned meansbeing manually reciprocated through said locking means, and said meansfor releasing said latch comprising a member biased into engagement withsaid latch, a pivoted lever means disposed to lift said member out ofengagement with said latch, and a manually actuable shaft reciprocallymounted rearwardly of said lever means for pivoting said lever means andlifting said member.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said baseplate is slidablyguided by a pair of tracks positioned there above, and a base memberhaving longitudinal openings to receive one end of a pawl from saidlocking means for locking said locking means in a selected positionadjacent said track.

3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises ahousing, said means for manually releasing said latch comprising anupper and a lower trigger assembly in said housing, an actuating shaftextending through both of said assemblies for actuating said assembliesin sequence, said shaft first releasing said missile pocket andthereafter releasing said locking means.

4. A missile launcher having a base member, power means for propelling amissile mounted on said base member, locking means movable mounted onsaid base member for releasably extending threaded stud and a latchmember having one end tapered and the other end having an internallythreaded chamber to receive said threaded stud.

5. The device defined in claim 1 wherein a latch-actuating means ispositioned in the locking means to contact said latch on the pocket andto reset said locking means after a missile has been launched.

1. A missile launcher having a baseplate, track guiding said base membermeans for propelling a missile mounted on said base member, lockingmeans movable mounted on said base member for releasably locking themeans for propelling a missile in several positions along said track, amissile pocket mounted on said missile-propelling power means, a latchon said pocket engageable by said locking means, means foR manuallyreleasing said latch and said locking means, said last mentioned meansbeing manually reciprocated through said locking means, and said meansfor releasing said latch comprising a member biased into engagement withsaid latch, a pivoted lever means disposed to lift said member out ofengagement with said latch, and a manually actuable shaft reciprocallymounted rearwardly of said lever means for pivoting said lever means andlifting said member.
 2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein saidbaseplate is slidably guided by a pair of tracks positioned there above,and a base member having longitudinal openings to receive one end of apawl from said locking means for locking said locking means in aselected position adjacent said track.
 3. The device defined in claim 1wherein said locking means comprises a housing, said means for manuallyreleasing said latch comprising an upper and a lower trigger assembly insaid housing, an actuating shaft extending through both of saidassemblies for actuating said assemblies in sequence, said shaft firstreleasing said missile pocket and thereafter releasing said lockingmeans.
 4. A missile launcher having a base member, power means forpropelling a missile mounted on said base member, locking means movablemounted on said base member for releasably locking the means forpropelling a missile in several positions along said tracks, a missilepocket mounted on said missile-propelling means, a latch on said pocketengageable by said locking means, means for manually releasing saidlatch and said locking means, said missile pocket being formed ofseveral layers of material, said means for propelling a missilecomprising a swivel connection anchored in each of the respective sidesof said pocket an embedded vertical steel plate in the center of saidpocket, said plate having a laterally extending threaded stud and alatch member having one end tapered and the other end having aninternally threaded chamber to receive said threaded stud.
 5. The devicedefined in claim 1 wherein a latch-actuating means is positioned in thelocking means to contact said latch on the pocket and to reset saidlocking means after a missile has been launched.